Wednesday, May 28, 2014

I was sitting out in the shade this morning working on my lap top and drinking some sweet tea, when all of a sudden the most awful racket was coming from over across our pond. I could see two red wing black birds diving down at something. I was thinking maybe a frog or a mouse that they were trying to catch. Then I noticed that something was jumping up at them, trying to get to them. I went in for a closer look. This is what I found.

It was getting in the bird's nest and eating their babies. When I got there, there was one in the snake's mouth. Let's just say, it didn't get to enjoy it's meal. I know your not suppose to kill these big black snakes, I know they are great for rodent control and all, but I enjoy my birds a lot more than I enjoy the snakes. So one of them had to go. I picked the scaly thing. He was getting a little too close to the "teenage" chicks for my taste anyway. So bye,bye, black snake.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, baby bird saver

P.S. Before you start making comments about why I shouldn't have killed the snake and should have "rehomed" it, go find your own black snake to rehome. This one is dead. End of story.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Instead of a nice picture of my garden full of vegetables, I have to post a picture of my pond. Mainly because there are no vegetables in my garden.....yet. We have been having a hard time getting the plants in the ground. We have them, they are nice a big, but, we just haven't put them in the dirt.

One of the reasons is I found out that this blood pressure medication that they have me on makes me sick to be outside in the sun for too long. I'm not talking just a little bit, I'm talking SICK! I burn just looking at the sunshine now. Not fun.... Hubby has either been working or has been laid up with back problems. I'm telling you folks, it's not fun getting old. I think we have decided that we are going to put in the garden when the sun goes down. We still have time. I think I'm going to have to become a vampire.

Anyway, I have been sitting in the shade for a few days (I still get a sun burn if I'm not careful) watching the "teenage" chickens. These things grow up real fast. I'm thinking of introducing them to the big chickens tonight. They have become a small nuisance around here. The are eating my flowers and herbs, pooping on my chair and table, and our one rooster that came with the bunch has decided that his only job in live, is to torment Skeeter. Skeeter is not amused. It's kind of funny watching these chickens though. They think they have to run everywhere they go. They can't just slowly walk. It's all go or no go. They can be standing in one spot after they ran there from across the yard, and just fall down, asleep. Entertainment right there folks!!! Why would anyone want to go to the movies when they can watch these chickens?

Speaking of entertainment, this past Saturday Hubby and I, along with my mom, dad, sister, BIL, and of course my little niece, went to a get together at an old mom and pop store just down the road a bit. They had bluegrass music being played by some of the locals, my dad being one of them. It was a nice time for all. There were hot dogs and potluck to eat. As we were eating, we sat on a blanket under a nice shade tree. There was a slight breeze blowing and it felt like heaven. It was right them and there I decided I was going to get some trees planted in our yard. We built our new house in the middle of a pasture field, so there wasn't any trees. Everyone needs a good shade tree to sit under!!!! So as I am making my map of our farm, (I'm still drawing it up) I'm going to figure out where to put some good old fashion shade trees. I think somewhere close to where I want to sit for the rest of my life. :-)

Saturday, May 24, 2014

One of the first stories that my Dad and uncle told me about was when they went fishing. They couldn't afford the fancy fishing rods and reels that we have today, so they would get some line,a hook, and an old bolt or nut for the sinker. Then they would stick it in their pockets and go to the creek. Once they got down to the creek, they would look for a nice straight, but durable stick. They would take the string and wrap it around the end of the stick. Instant fishing pole! They told me that they could stay fish for hours. (Maybe THAT'S where I get it!) They said using the stick this way would give them the freedom, after they were done, to just wind up the string around the end of the stick, break the end off, and then stick it back in their pocket. No big fishing pole to carry back. You have to realize they walked a far piece to get to the fishing hole.

The way I understood their story, they would walk to an old covered bridge and fish under it. It kept the hot sun off them. They said they could remember crossing it sometimes and there would be boards missing from the bottom of it. They had to step over the holes. Talk about scary! I know this bridge and it's really far above the water. One wrong step and they could have been in for a long drop. Under this bridge was a popular spot to fish and still is, to this day. Dad said one time they went to go fishing there and came upon some fishing poles and tackle that some ole drunks had left behind. They had left beer bottles and such also. That day they thought they had hit the jack pot.

Another thing that stuck out in my mind, when they were telling their fishing stories, was about a neighbor that they had. They said they remembered him always having a big plug tobacco in his cheek. He would talk to you and lean off to the side and spit. The boys would go to him when they didn't have time to dig for worms to fish with. They said he would stick two rods, that were attached to electric, into the ground. After a few minutes, worms would come to the surface. They would pick them up, put them in a can, and then go fishing. Now THAT would have been some trick!

That's just part of the stories that they told me about them fishing. It's hard to remember things when your writing and listening at the same time. Hopefully I'll be able to get a recorder soon.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Every Thursday my parents and I go out for breakfast. It's a nice time to catch up and see how they are doing. (although I call them every night and they only live 10 mins from me.) This past Thursday my uncle and aunt joined us. It was nice to sit and talk to everyone. As we were talking, my dad and my uncle started reminiscing about how it was when they were growing up back in a hollar in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Talk about some GREAT stories!!!! As I sat there and soaked it all in, an idea came to me. How nice would it be if everyone could learn from these stories??? Right then and there I asked them if we can get together, every so often, and just tell stories. They liked the idea so we decided to get together that night.

I brought along a pen and paper. As soon as they started talking, I realized I need to get some kind of recording device. My little stubby fingers couldn't write that fast and I didn't want to miss anything. I'm still sorting stories out. There were stories about fishing and pulling logs off of the hills with horses. Stories about getting scared while out hunting. They told stories about how they went to school in a one room school house and how they had to walk so far to get there. (Yes, I asked them if they had to do it bare footed, in the snow, up hill both ways. :-)

Anyway, my plan is to write some down of the stories that they told. One reason is so that you can read how it was. Another reason is so that I can have these stories from my family. Ether way, it should be interesting to read. Expect stories soon.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Yesterday I was looking around in our old house and guess who just happened to be in there? Yep, Gypsy. Plus, her babies!!! We finally found them!

Since the floor is rotting out, they can easily go from outside to inside with no problem. In our old bedroom, they were just hanging out. I didn't get to bring my camera up there but I will. There is nothing cuter than babies! And to prove that point........

Thursday, May 8, 2014

It's time to get serious folks. I'm talking about myself. I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Thoughts From Frank And Fern, and Fern was talking about her herb garden. What I really found interesting is how she mapped out her garden on a piece of paper. Then I remembered how another friend mapped out her whole farm. She doesn't have much level land, but she sure did put a lot of stuff in the small, level acreage that she does have. So I got to thinking, (I know, scary.) I'm going to map out MY place. I've got around 55 acres of land here, and I didn't know where to start! I was told to make a list of the things I have here and things I want here. Why am I now just letting that sink in?

I know I'm gonna have a garden. I actually already have that set in place so I won't have to do much thinking on that. The new chicken coop is right next to the garden. That way when we would happen to have a few tomatoes, or such, go bad, I can just chuck them to the chickens. The brooder is going right next to the "big girl" coop. We have our pond, my clothes line, our driveway, and our, soon to be installed, homemade, outdoor, wood burning stove, so I have to make sure I put those on the map. Hubby is going to want to build a garage to put the tractor and hay equipment in, so I'll make sure I put that on there too. Our pasture fields are pretty much already set in stone.

Now I have to figure out what I WANT. (This is better than Christmas!) I know I want apple trees for sure. I have a couple already planted, but I want more. We eat a lot of apples in the winter. It may be in the form of pies, crisps, apple butter, or just fried apples, but we like them a lot. We usually go to a local apple orchard and get them, but they are usually sprayed. I want to be able to use my own unsprayed apples to make apple cider vinegar. I also want blueberries. Yummo! I want strawberries. Double yummo! And I want to transplant our blackberry bushes closer to the house so that they are not on the other side of the 55 acres.

I have always wanted an herb garden too. I have started one a few times, but something keeps coming up to where I have to move it. The last herb garden has been run over by the tractor so many time everything died. Everything except the mint. You just can't kill that stuff. :-) I have books upon books of herbs. I LOVE the thought of making my own medicine, or having my own herbs to cook with. Hey! I'm gonna have to make a map of things I'm gonna put in my herb garden! Oh goodness, I think I'm going to be obsessed. lol

I could go on and on about my wants, but I think I'm going to go and start mapping. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

I have been trying to write this post for a few days now. I kept writing something and then erasing, writing then erasing. I just couldn't put it into words how I felt about this place. This is Kentucky. Not the Kentucky you see on Derby Day. This is Eastern Kentucky. We don't have million dollar horses here that can run like the wind, but we do have the Kentucky Mountain Horse that can go all day long at a smooth gait.

It's a different kind of place here in Eastern KY. People have asked me what it's like here. It's hard to describe. First off, the land is beautiful. There are many hills, some are steep, some are rolling. The trees range from pines to massive oaks. There are many rocky creeks and rivers also. Great to fish in! The wildlife is very abundant. This is a beautiful place but if I want to get to the heart of it all, I must talk about the people.

The people here are different than any you will meet any place else. Imagine stepping back in time at least 60 years. That's kind of how the people think around here. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good. Not many businesses do their business by Internet. They don't trust the Net. They can't tell if someone is telling the truth or not by the way they type. They like to do things face to face. Although they are really getting into Facebook right now. :-)

There are a lot of people who still grow gardens and can here. That's what their parents did so that's what they do. Although I have to admit, it is starting to become more rare. The new generation is starting to get a little lazy. Video games and computers are important to them. I'm sure it's like that in a lot of places around the U.S.

Family is very important here. Your identity is based on who you are related to. I was not born here but my Dad was. He came from a family of 12 kids. That's right folks! 12 KIDS!!! My poor Grandma. :-) But since my family was from here, I'm not considered an outsider. Families will fight with themselves. But, they will stick up for each other when it comes right down to it. Remember the Hatfields and the McCoys? Ya, they were from this part of the Appalachia. That kind of mentality is still here. Although, it may be more quiet and sneaky. Families have each others backs. We are a scrappy type.

There are much more that I can get into about the people and the places here. I don't have enough time to write about it in one post. My plans are to write about it periodically on here. We'll see how that goes. Hehehe.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Hubby, Glamour Girl, and I went on a mini vacation this past weekend. We went to the Smoky Mountain National Park. At the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Glamour Girl had two weeks in between college courses, so we decided it would be nice for her. It's just a few hours drive from the house. It's a nice place to visit. It has a mix of nature and tourism. You can pick which one you want to immerse yourself in. We picked a mix of both. We went to a place called Cades Cove. It's a beautiful place surrounded by beautiful mountains. It has an abundance of wildlife that live there. It also has many old buildings from when the settlers come to the place. These building include churches, houses, and a grist mill. At the time we were there, they were doing a demonstration of how the mill works. It was really interesting!

I also had pictures of when we went up on the top of one of the mountains that overlook Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg It was awesome. The views were breath taking. I took many pictures. Pictures that were good enough to frame. Then....... I hit the wrong button.

I deleted ALL of my pictures. Both off of the computer and off of my camera. I'm sick to my stomach. We hardly go on vacation and I wanted to remember this one with many pictures. I took pictures of everything. And now they are all gone. I feel awful. I guess I can use this as a learning experience. I now know to make sure that I have MANY backups for all of my pictures before I delete anything. Hey! Maybe this is any excuse to go back! lol. Got to keep looking on the bright side.

About Me

I grew up on 2 acres of land north of Columbus OH. Mom had a small garden,I had a horse,and Dad had his tractor, but we were far from what you would call homesteaders. It wasn't until I moved to Kentucky and married my husband did I start to have a small interest in growing a garden again. We have a few head of cattle, a small herd of horses, a flock of chickens and 2 dogs. And the garden, it keeps growing and growing each year. We decided we want to be more self-reliant. I don't know much about homesteading, but I'm willing to learn as I go. Oh, this could get good.